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Osaka Black Ramen at Kinguemon

During my recent trip to Osaka, Japan I was able to try out a famous ramen shop called Kinguemon, which serves award-winning Osaka Black Ramen. The signs proudly displayed outside Kinguemon say that it has been awarded as No. 1 for their Black Ramen for three years from 2009 to 2011, and recognized No. 1 in the whole Kansai region for 2007. The credentials were definitely a come on for me that’s why I decided to give the place a try.

I ordered myself the signature Osaka Black through the ticket vending machine, which was the most recommended variant according to the signs outside.

Osaka Black Ramen is basically ramen served with dark shoyu broth. Kinguemon’s interpretation was a well-presented bowl with flat and slightly thick curly noodles topped with one tender slice of chasyu, a couple of bamboo shoots and green onions.

Personally, I found the broth too salty for my liking, while the chasyu was quite tender and tasty. The noodles I liked surprisingly, somehow the nearly udon characteristic of the noodles became appealing for me some strange reason. It was served in proper ‘kata-men’ (al dente) doneness.

I’d fully recommend this if the soup wasn’t as salty. Maybe it was supposed to taste that way, I can’t really call myself an expert on this variant of ramen as it was my first attempt at it. It is worth a try for the adventurous ramen fan I guess.

Kinguemon is on one of the corners in Dotonbori just off the Shinsaibashi shopping strip.